January 5, 2011

Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #34 [1972]

"Ghostmaster" is the 8-page story cover-featured in Charlton's MANY GHOSTS OF DOCTOR GRAVES #34 [1972]. Doctor Graves narrates the story of Leland Menn, a showman who convinces the owners of Funland to finance an elaborate effects-laden haunted house attraction.

The story seems a bit fragmented and ends abruptly, but it serves the purpose of giving Ditko some nice stuff to draw. Especially nice is that contrast in shading levels that Ditko uses when drawing spectral forms alongside the real world. The gag in the middle of page six (seen below) is pretty good, and well rendered by Ditko.

Ditko also draws the cover for the issue, which is a nice representation of the haunted house with its wacky layout and all the usual tropes of such an attraction that show up in the story.